Circuit-closer.



G. E. HULL.

cmc'un CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. I918 63 66 35' aazyeMaZZ gm/ 6mm Patented App1, 1919;

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

v GEORGE E. HULL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO I-IICKOKCONSTRUCTION 00., OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

' Application filed December 4, 1918. Serial No. 265,234.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HULL, a citizen of the United "States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Closers,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in alarm mechanism and has to domore particularly with mechanism of this character as applied to grainbins of elevators and other grain storage houses.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a mechanismof this character in which the grain actuable element will alwaysassume, by gravity, a position receptive for actuation, thereby entirelyavoiding the employment of springs or other restoring devices.

Devices of this character usually employ a movable element in thegeneralform of a paddle whereby a relatively broad surface is presentedtoward the grain slope so that when the grain advances against thepaddle, the latter will be retracted, and such retractive movement isutilized for actuating the alarm to give warning that the bin has beenfilled. Now as the grain rises in the bin and the slope shifts, itfrequently happens that the grain will get behind the paddle and therebyblock alarm movement of the paddle under the action of the grain againstthe front of the paddle. Therefore, it is a feature of my invention toemploy guards on the sides of the paddle to prevent the flow of grain tothe rear thereof.

My invention has many other objects and features which will be morefully described in connection with the accompanying drawing, and whichwill be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1, is a vertical sectional view of a grain binshowing one form of the device of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2, is an enlarged vertical sectional view with certain partsomitted to more clearly show the structure.

Fig. 8, is a View in elevation looking from the right of Fig. 2. V

Fig. 4:, is a sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 8.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout thedifferent figures of the drawing.

As illustrated, 1 designates one wall of a bin and 2, .designates theopposite wall, the construction being of cribbing, not shown, as theparticular construction of the bin is not material to this invention. Agrain pipe or chute is indicated at 3, and the grain slope is shown by adotted line 4. The device of my invention, which is generally indicatedat 6, is shown disposed opposite the grain pipe 3, although it is merelyneces sary that it should be positioned remote therefrom, or in otherwords in a position where the slope of the grain will be toward thepaddle.

Referring mOI'e particularly to the specific construction, 7 designatesa strip or mounting which is adapted to be secured to an upper insideportion of the bin, in any suitable manner, as by wood screws 8. Nearthe top of the inside face of this mounting strip 7, is adjustablysecured a circuit closer supporting block 9. The top of the strip 7 isslotted, as indicatedat 10, and screws 11, extending into the block, andthrough said slots, permit of the block 9 being nicely adjusted to therequired position to bring its circuit closer in operative relation withthe actuating device therefor. As shown, a circuit closer inthe' form ofa push button device 12, ismounted on the bottom of said block in amanner to cause its button 13 to project downwardly. A circuit is shownextending to or including said device 12,

one line 14 extending from the device 12 to one pole of a source ofcurrent 15, and from the other pole, a lead16 extends to one terminal ofa bell 17. From the other terminal of said bell a lead 18 extends backto the device 12. This alarm circuit is diagrammatically indicatedbecause it does not specifically form a feature of my invention, merelya broad element of the combination. However, it is a feature of myinvention to fixedly mount the circuit closer 12 on an adjustablemounting so that at any time adjustment may be made of the circuitcloser without in any way interfering with the wiring forming thecircuit. It is also a feature to extend the top of the mount strip 7above the cribbing of the bin wall so that the rod normally seeks aposition by gravity,

away from said button.

Reference will next be made to the movable element adapted to beactuated by the grain to energize the alarm.

A pivot block is mounted on strip 7 and the same includes lateralmembers 21 which project from the inside of the bin wall toward theinterior of the bin and which converge from their base portions towardtheir free ends 22. A pivot bolt 23 is mounted in the free ends of saidmembers, for a purpose which will presently appear. A movable element inthe form of a paddle 24: is provided with a relatively broad fiat lowerportion 25, and a relatively reduced upper portion 26. A block 27mounted on the upper end of the front of said paddle provides stockthrough which pivot bolt 23, extends. This disposes the pivotal axissomewhat at one side, or forwardly, of the center of mass of the paddle,as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2. Rearwardly of the paddle isfixed a block 28 which extends downwardly along the paddle aconsiderable distance. shifts the center of mass farther to the left ofpivot bolt 23. It is by reason of this novel form of pivotal suspensionof the paddle that the latter assumes, by gravity, a position in whichits lower end is projected toward the grain slope, thereby avoiding theuse of springs. Thus, the paddle will at all times seek to assume theposition shown in Fig. 2.

Means is provided for pivotally connecting the lower end of rod 19, insupported re lation with the top of said paddle, and as shown, block 28is provided with an eye 29 with which an eye 30, on the lower ,end ofthe rod 19, is linked. Thus the weight of rod 19, is also added to thedisposition of the mass of the paddle, to urge the same into theprojecting position shown in F ig, 2. A roof cover 31 is mounted onmembers 21 and extends forwardly over the pivot bolt 23, in a manner toprevent entrance of the grain in such a manner as to clog the freeworking of the gravity paddle. An opening 32 in said cover permits ofextension of rod 19 therethrough.

In order to prevent thegrain from flowingbehind the paddle and thusneutralizing the thrust of the grain against the front of the paddle,the latter is provided with guards 33. These guards are secured to theThe weight of this block 28, also edges of the paddle and not onlyproject rear-wardly therefrom but also depend downwardly from the lowerextremity of the paddle. Thus the area in the rear of the paddle ismaintained free from grain and when the slope advances toward thepaddle, as it rises in the bin, the grain will exercise a lateral thruston the paddle shifting the lower end to the left of Fig. 2, and therebyraising rod 19 into contact with the button 13 to energize the alarm.Subsequent to this operation of the paddle, the grain slope willcontinue to rise until the pipe 3 is closed, and the alarm will continueto be sounded, until switched off. The grain might, if the pipe were notpromptly shut off, rise above the level of the bolt 23. Thus, it will beseen that by housing the pivot por tion of the paddle, the grain couldnever wedge in and prevent the return of the paddle to the positionshown in Fi 2, after the grain had descended to a point below the alarmmechanism.

It will also be noted that the terminals of the circuit are inclosed inthe push button device and all adjustments are made without exposing thesame, therefore, the vital contacts can never become fouled as theactuation of the button 13, by rod 19, is merely mechanical, notelectrical, but even so, this point of contact or engagement of the rodwith said button is above the highest point at which the grain couldascend, and therefore, nothing could be clogged.

It is believed that the advantages and utility of my invention will befully under.- stood from the foregoing description, and while I haveherein shown and described one specific-form of my invention, I do notwish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims mayimport.

I claim:

1. In a grain bin circuit closing device, a mounting strip adapted to beattached in a vertical position to the upper inside face of a bin, acircuit closer supporting block adjustably mounted on the inside face ofthe upper end of said strip and having a circuit closer secured to thelower portion thereof with a downwardly projecting push button, acircuit closing rod extending vertically along said strip, means on saidstrip for guiding said rodto aline its upper end for engagement withsaid button, a pivot block projecting from the inside face of said stripnear the lower end thereof, a grain actuable paddle pivoted at its upperend to said block and having an enlarged lower end providing a broadsurface facing the grain slope, means pivoting the upper end of saidpaddle to the lower end of said rod between the pivotal mounting of theformer and said strip whereby said rod will be shifted upwardly againstsaid button to close the alarm circuit when the grain forces. the

lower free end of the paddle toward said strip, the center of mass ofsaid paddle being so disposed with respect to the pivotal axis of saidpaddle as to normally cause the latter to assume a position by gravitywith its lower free end projecting away from said strip.

2. In a grain bin circuit closing device, a paddle pivot blockcomprising lateral pivot supporting members projecting inwardly from thebin side, a grain actuable paddle having a reduced upper end disposedbetween and pivotally hung from between said members and having anenlarged lower face exposed to the grain slope for actuation thereby, aroof cover mounted on said members and extending sufliciently beyondsaid members to prevent the grain from entering at the point of pivotalconnection of said paddle with said members, and means extending throughsaid cover and connected with said paddle for operating the circuitcloser when said paddle is actuated by the grain.

3. In a grain bin circuit closing device, a

rain actuable paddle, means pivotally hanging said paddle at a pointwith respect to its center of mass so as to cause said paddle to assumea position by gravity disposing its lower end in a projecting positionwith respect to a vertical line intersecting the pivot axis of saidpaddle, and a circuit closing rod extending vertically upwardly from thetop of said paddle, and means connecting the lower end of said rod inpivotal supported relation with the top of said paddle on that side ofthe pivotal axis thereof opposite from which the lower end of the paddleprojects.

4C. In a grain bin circuit closing device, a mounting strip adapted tobe secured to the inside face of said bin with a portion of said stripprojecting above the top of said bin, a grain actuable device mounted onsaid strip and having an upwardly extending push rod, a block on theinside face and near the top of said strip, a push button device on thebottom of said block and having a downwardly extending push button foren gagement by said rod, alarm circuit wir ing connected with said pushbutton device, and means accessible from the outside of said bin foradjusting said block up or down on said strip in accurate relation tosaid rod without interfering with said wiring.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I hereby affix mysignature.

GEORGE E. HULL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

